Jar closure



June 3, 194 1- w. M. ROBERTSON 2,244,316V

JAR CLOSURE Filed oct. 6, 1939 INVENTOR MMoBExrso/v.

M 5 ATTORN S Patented June 3, 1941 UNITES ST JAR CLO'SURE William M. Robertson, Waterville, Ohio, assigner to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of Ohio Application October 6, 1939, Serial No. v298,165

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to improvements in jar closures and more particularly to means for facilitating the removal of closures from vacuumized containers such for example, as fruit jars.

The di'culties encountered in opening vacuumized containers, fruit jars for example, are well known. They are largely due to the fact that the contents are packed hot and a considerable internal vacuum is created incident to cooling of the contents and container. Moreover, the sealing surface or nish of the glass container very frequently becomes coated with a portion of the liquid contents, with the result that the rubber sealing ring tightly adheres thereto.

An object of my invention is the provision of novel and efficient means whereby the sealing ring ordinarily employed in hermetically closing fruit jars and the like, may be removed from sealing contact with the nfish or sealing surface of a glass container without resorting to the use of various implements such as are empl-oyed so frequently at present. To this end the invention compri-ses the formation of a tab at the outer margin of the sealing ring and ythe projection of this tab outwardly through a slot in the attaching flange, or skirt, of they closure proper. This tab is intended to be utilized by the consumer as a means for breaking the seal between the ring and sealing surface or nish of the container.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawing:

Fig 1 is a fragmentary side elevational View of a jar and metal screw type closure embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View showing the ring in sealing position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan View with parts broken away and disclosing the construction of the sealing ring.

Fig, 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating the manner in which the seal is broken by pulling the tab on the sealing ring.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view partly in section illustra'ting substantially the shape assumed by t the sealing ring incident to pulling of the tab.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention is shown in conjunction with a glass container I8 and a metal screw type closure II. The container includes a circular wall |72 or neck dening a filling and discharging opening I3, said wall terminating at its outer end in a relatively flat sealing surface or 1in-ish I4. External screw threads I5 are provided on the wall I2 for engagement with threads I 6 which constitute a part of the attaching ange Il, or skirt, of the closure I I.

The closure II includes in addition to the attaching ange, a circular top |18 which may well include an annular stiffening bead I9. At the juncture of the top I8 and attaching ange, there is provided in the latter, a circumferentiallly extending slot 20 which is designed to accommodate a ringer .tab 2|, the latter formed integral with a sealing ring 22. This sealing ring may be permanently attached to the inner surface of the top I8 of the closure for convenience. If preferred, the sealing ring 22 may be formed with recesses 23 at the juncture of the base of the tab 2| and the ring proper in order to facilitate pulling the tab and ring radially outward when it is desired to break the seal between the ring and container. The function of these recesses is obvious by reference to Figs. 4 and 6.

In view of the above, it is apparent that when it is desired to open a vacuurnized hermetically sealed container of the type disclosed herein, it is only necessary to grip the tab 2l and pull it radially outward to substantially the position shown in Figs. 5 and 6. This results in breaking of the internal vacuum and therefore a material decrease in the external pressure upon the closure. The closure may then be removed from the container with ease.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claimt In combination, a container having a circular Wall defining a filling and discharging opening and provided with a sealing 'surface at its outer end, a closure for the container adapted to be telescoped over said wall and including a top and depending attaching flange. said ange havinfr a circumferentially extending slot substantially at its juncture with the top, a sealing ring interposed between the top and said sealing surface, and a finger tab provided on said ring and projecting outwardly through the slot, the base 'of said tab being of less width than the slot,

said sealing ring also being reduced in transverse width at its point of juncture with the base of the tab in proximity to and inwardly from eac-h end wall of the slot.

WILLIAM vM. ROBERTSON. 

